49ers and Bill Walsh Have Another Successful Draft

We all new that with this being Bill Walsh’s last draft as the head man in the front office he would want to make it a memorable one. I believe that Walsh did indeed make it a memorable one with his trades and his incredible ability to find talent in the late rounds of the draft.

The 49ers ended up with 8 picks in the draft. With those picks they selected Andre Carter, Defensive End from California with the seventh pick of the first round. Jamie Winborn, Line Backer from Vanderbilt with the 16th pick of the second round. Kevan Barlow, Running Back from Pittsburgh with the 18th pick of the third round. Cedric Wilson, Wide Receiver from Tennessee with the 6th pick of the sixth round. Rashad Holman, Corner Back from Louisville with the 16th pick of the sixth round. Menson Holloway, Defensive Tackle from Texas-El Paso with the 28th pick of the sixth round. Alex Lincoln, Line Backer from Auburn with 9th pick of the seventh round. Eric Johnson, Tight End from Yale with the 24th pick of the seventh round.

Andre Carter (6’4”, 250, 4.75) is the player the 49ers wanted all along. To get him though the 49ers needed to trade with Seattle to get in front of Chicago. Head Coach Steve Mariucci recruited Carter out of High School and has been following his career ever since.

Carter is the son of former Denver Broncos player, Rubin Carter. He was a High School All-America defensive end who also excelled in track and field. He was a Second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 1998 and a first-team selection in 1999 and 2000. Also a consensus All-American in 2000.

In 1997 he had 21 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks
In 1998 he had 39 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
In 1999 he had 53 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks
In 2000 he had 59 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 13 sacks

Positives: Very dedicated and determined. Extremely coach able. Known for his character and never-say-die attitude. Plays the run very well. Has long arms, excellent balance and good functional football strength. Does a good job coming off blocks and rushing the passer. Can jump like an NBA forward. Excellent athlete. Great closing burst.

Summary: already penciled in on the defensive line as a starter along with Bryant Young, Soon to be signed Dana Stubblefield and John Engelberger.

Jamie Winborn (5’11”, 228, 4.85) will most likely compete with Jeff Ulbrich for a starting spot on the 49er defense replacing Ken Norton. He red shirted in 1997 and was either first or second-team All-SEC in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 1998 he led the entire Southeastern Conference in tackles.

In 1998 he had 131 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
In 1999 he had 141 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks
In 2000 he had 105 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks (missed the first 2 games)

Positives: Explosive run stuffing LB who continually flies around the action. Quick, fast, loves to hit and is good in pass coverage. Well-developed athlete who is built a little along the lines of Mike Singletary. Very tough and aggressive. Quick to make reads and to react. Can get into the hole quickly and blow the runner up or go sideline-to-sideline. Never missed a game.

Negatives: Shorter than you would like. Will guess and gamble. Likes to run around the blocker rather than taking him on head to head.

Summary: Effective player when protected by the guys up front. Could be a starter or spot player in certain situations.

Kevan Barlow (6’1”, 235, 4.55) is an under-rated running back that was a 4-year letterman whose playing time increased each year. He was a Second-team All-Big East pick in 1999. He finished his senior season with the best game of his career, against West Virginia, rushing for 272 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Positives: Ran the West Coast Offense, can catch passes and has an exciting combination of size and speed. Can gain a lot of yardage by breaking past the initial contact. Shifty for his size and can run with power. Has increasingly improved his blocking and receiving skills each year.

Summary: Has a chance to be the starting running back, but likely to split time with Paul Smith and Jonas Lewis and possibly Garrison Hearst.

Cedric Wilson (5’9”, 180, 4.45) was a top high school Quarterback that switched to receiver in college. Second-team All-Southeastern Conference pick in 1999 and 2000.

In 1997 he had 7 catches, 71 yards, 2 touchdowns
In 1998 he had 33 catches, 558 yards, 6 touchdowns
In 1999 he had 57 catches, 827 yards, 4 touchdowns
In 2000 he had 62 catches, 681 yards, 12 touchdowns

Positives: Good competitor. Quick and tough. Willing blocker. Not afraid of catching in a crowd. Has very quick feet. Can return kickoffs and punts if needed.

Negatives: More quick than fast. Small and may have trouble against big corners that bump at the line. Has a tendency to look before he catches the ball. Drops some passes.

Summary: Adds a small speedy deep threat to an already good receiving corps. Possible kick and punt returner.

Rashad Holman (5’11”, 190, 4.50) is a terrific athlete that played wide receiver and both, baseball and basketball in High School. Was a second-team All-Conference USA selection in 2000.

In 1997 he had 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown
In 1998 he had 51 tackles, 12 passes broken up, 2 interceptions
In 1999 he had 45 tackles, 10 passes broken up, 5 interceptions
In 2000 he had 51 tackles, 20 passes broken up, 6 interceptions

Positives: Good size. Very good athletic ability and agility. Great jumping ability. Above average tackler.

Menson Holloway ( 6’2”, 285, 4.88) lettered in football, basketball and track in High School. Played tight end as a freshman. Won All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2000.

In 1999 he had 43 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
In 2000 he had 54 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 10 sacks

Positives: Good athlete. Has quickness, agility and speed. Quick off the ball and very effective with his first move. Good closing speed.

Negatives: Undersized defensive lineman who never settled into a position until 2000 season. Has a hard time taking on and shedding big blockers.

Summary: Adds depth and insurance if the 49ers do not sign Stubblefield.

Alex Lincoln (6’0”, 250, 4.66) went to Mississippi College in 1996 and 1997. Transferred to Auburn in 1998 as a walk on and red shirted. Became starting middle linebacker in 1999.

Positives: Great work ethic and competitiveness. Very dedicated, smart and determined. Active and runs pretty well.

Negatives: Self-made player that has pumped up from 210lbs. Does not take on blocks well.

Summary: Adds depth at linebacker where it is desperately needed.

Eric Johnson (6’2”, 230, 4.75) is a player that Bill Walsh very much wanted. He has played wide receiver, tight end, H-back and full back. Has been used as a punter also. Won All-Ivy League honors in 2000.

In 1998 he had 24 catches, 224 yards, no touchdowns
In 1999 he had 67 catches, 858 yards, 9 touchdowns
In 2000 he had 86 catches, 1,007 yards, 14 touchdowns

Positives: Very productive receiver. Has soft hands, good concentration and a feel for the soft spot in the zone.

Negatives: Lacks size as a blocker. Not great speed as a receiver.

Summary: Has been compared to Brent Jones. Adds depth and perhaps a good third down option.

These were the players obtained by the 49ers in the 2001 draft. Although, these players may not have the impact that the players from last year’s draft had, they will fill holes and add depth at the positions the 49ers needed it at most.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the abilities of Andre Carter and Kevan Barlow. I believe that the addition of these two players as well as Jamie Winborn made this a very good draft for the 49ers.

Over the next few days the 49ers will be signing several undrafted free agents that have a slim chance of making the team.

I would like to reference Pro Football Weekly for some of the information in the player biographies.

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